Recommendation 8

To deliver government’s ambitions as set out in the 25 Year Environment Plan, the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (the Department) has lead responsibility for all environmental policy areas apart from climate change mitigation, for which the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy has the policy lead. Other parts of government including the Department for Transport, the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government and local authorities also have important 9 C&AG’s Report, para 18 10 Q 16 11 C&AG’s Report, Figure 6. 12 Q 12 13 C&AG’s Report, para 1.8 14 Qq 12–14 15 C&AG’s Report, para 1.18 16 Joint Nature Conservation Committee, United Kingdom’s 6th National Report to the Convention on Biological Diversity, 11 March 2019 10 Achieving government’s long-term environmental goals roles to play.17 In a July 2018 report on the Plan, the Environmental Audit Committee recommended that: “The government’s proposals for oversight and accountability of the Plan need to ensure all Government departments—not just Defra—are held to account.”18